Pune’s famous Dagdusheth temple’s expansion plan now puts police land on the table

Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar has sent a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the state home department on August 10

The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has moved a step closer to its proposed expansion with the Pune police agreeing in principle to vacate the Faraskhana and Vishrambaug police station premises, but only after the government or temple trust provides a fully equipped complex as replacement and shifts all police units currently operating from these stations; a senior officer said on Thursday.

The Dagdusheth temple was originally located on Shivaji Road near Mazoor Adda. The present temple site was earlier occupied by a fire brigade station. (HT FILE)

Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar has sent a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the state home department on August 10. The approval, however, does not amount to an immediate transfer of premises. The police have made it clear that the existing building will continue to be used until an alternative facility is constructed, made operational, and all offices are shifted.

Kumar said, “We have sent the NOC to the home department and the existing premises will be handed over to the temple trust only after a new police complex is constructed and all the police offices are shifted there”.

The development is significant because the proposal involves a sizeable government premises in the heart of the city being made available for the expansion of what is easily a religious institution in Pune. It also comes after the state government granted class A tourism status to the Dagdusheth temple in May, making the temple eligible for government support with respect to infrastructure and development. The trust has been seeking additional land for expansion, with the Faraskhana premises identified as a key component of the plan.

The cost of constructing the new complex will have to be borne either by the temple trust or the home department, according to the proposal. It also states that the temple trust will have to pay the government the value of the existing government land before its transfer.

The present structure was inaugurated on October 1, 1979. The location also has a history that underlines the importance of maintaining police infrastructure in the area. In July 2014, an improvised explosive device planted in the parking area of the Faraskhana-Vishrambaug police stations exploded, injuring five people and damaging vehicles. Investigators subsequently examined the terror angle in the case.

The argument for a new police complex is therefore not merely about replacing an ageing building. The two police stations serve a densely populated and commercially busy part of central Pune, while the area around the Dagdusheth temple witnesses exceptionally high pedestrian and traffic movement during religious festivals and throughout the year.

The Dagdusheth temple was originally located on Shivaji Road near Mazoor Adda. The present temple site was earlier occupied by a fire brigade station. The fire brigade facility was subsequently shifted to a location near the Gadgil statue close to Shaniwarwada in the early 2000s after which, the land was used for expansion of the temple.

The latest proposal will therefore add another government-controlled site to the temple’s expansion plans although this time, the police have insisted that their operational requirements must be secured before the land is released.

The proposal is being pursued by Kasba Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of legislative assembly (MLA) and joint secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust, Hemant Rasane, who said that redevelopment is part of the larger plan for the integrated development of the historic Kasba constituency.

“Kasba is a historic constituency with important landmarks such as Lal Mahal, Shaniwarwada and the birthplace of the Ganesh festival. I had submitted around 15 proposals to the chief minister for the redevelopment and integrated development of important sites and facilities in the constituency. If developed in a coordinated manner, these places can emerge as major tourist attractions,” Rasane said.

Rasane further said that the proposals were submitted about a year ago, and have been followed up with the state government. The proposals include redevelopment of the two police stations, an underpass and other infrastructure works, he said.

About the police premises, Rasane said that the existing building has been designed decades ago when the city’s requirements were very different. “The building is around 50 to 60 years old. At the time, the two police stations were accommodated together according to the requirements then. Pune has grown tremendously ever since, and the police also need modern infrastructure and facilities,” he said.

Rasane said that around 11 additional offices function from the premises because of its strategic location and that a new complex will provide better facilities for all of them. Rasane also said that the temple trust is prepared to construct the replacement police building if permitted by the government.

“If the government asks us to construct the new building, we are ready to do so. The work can be undertaken through the mechanism decided by the government,” he said.

For now however, there is no immediate change at the Faraskhana-Vishrambaug premises. The police have made it clear that none of the existing offices will be shifted until an alternative complex is ready.

The next stage will therefore depend on the government deciding where and how the new police complex will be constructed, who will finance it and how the existing government land will ultimately be transferred. Until those issues are settled, the Dagdusheth trust’s expansion plan cannot result in the police premises being vacated.